[extropy-chat] SPACE: Microsats launching

[Mike Lorrey]

--- "kevinfreels.com" <kevin at kevinfreels.com> wrote:

> I would like to see that price come down to $1000. When you were
> working
> your numbers did you happen to estimate how many would need to be
> produced
> to get them to this price? Imagine being able to buy your own
> microsat on ebay through paypal.

The sats are using a lot of off-the-shelf components from short wave
radios, PDA devices, flash memory, even using tape measures as
deployable UHF/VHF monopole antennae. One innovative Norwegian entry
uses a similar boom with a 40 gram lead weight on the end as a
mini-tether to tidally lock the satellite in the proper orientation for
best antenna performance.

I've been thinking up a interplanetary probe design which could
probably be mass produced and would use a pulse-detonation ion
propulsion concept I have, to maximize the minimal solar power
available. This would be an awesome design for landing on asteroids,
small moons, and comets for prospecting purposes. The major price items
on this design would be getting the ion propulsion and tiny reaction
wheels into production.

At this level, though, the major cost isn't the spacecraft, its the
launch costs. You not only have to pay for the mass of your spacecraft,
but of the P-Pod deployment devices that Cal Poly uses to deploy these
one at a time. You really need to build your own payload shroud with an
integrated deployment system for mass numbers of probes.

> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mike Lorrey" <mlorrey at yahoo.com>
> To: "ExI chat list" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
> Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 10:28 PM
> Subject: [extropy-chat] SPACE: Microsats launching
> 
> 
> > Some might recall the thread a month or two ago that David Lubkin
> and I
> > commented on about putting up small mass produced satellites or
> probes.
> > Well, it seems to be starting with CubeSats, 1 kg, 4"x4" satellites
> > packed with electronics. The first 14 are going to be launched
> aboard a
> > Dneiper launcher soon.
> >
> > http://space.com/businesstechnology/technology/050928_cubesats.html
> >
> > http://littonlab.atl.calpoly.edu/
> > The Cubesat home page.
> >
> > As I'd predicted, the bottom end price for these things is about
> $10k
> > and the launch cost on a Russian booster is running about $40k.
> >
> > Mike Lorrey
> > Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
> > Founder, Constitution Park Foundation:
> > http://constitutionpark.blogspot.com
> > Personal/political blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com
> >
> >
> >
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Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
Founder, Constitution Park Foundation:
http://constitutionpark.blogspot.com
Personal/political blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com


		
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